1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to extraction cleaning. In one of its aspects, the invention relates to an extraction cleaning machine in which a pump and agitator are driven by a common motor.
2. Description of Related Art
Upright extraction cleaning machines have been used for removing dirt from surfaces such as carpeting, upholstery, drapes and the like. The known extraction cleaning machines can be in the form of a canister-type unit as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,720 to Blase et al. or an upright unit as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,977 to McAllise et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,559,665 to Fitzwater.
In some of the extraction cleaning machines, a pump is used to pump cleaning fluid to a nozzle for spraying the cleaning fluid onto a carpet surface. In some of the extraction cleaning machines an agitator brush is driven by a motor or by an air turbine to agitate the carpet surface. Typically the agitator brush is driven by a separate motor or in some cases is driven by the impeller motor. The pump has heretofore required a separate motor to drive the pump.
According to the invention a portable surface cleaning apparatus comprises a cleaning module for movement along a surface, a fluid recovery system on the cleaning module, a liquid dispensing system, an agitator brush mounted in the cleaning module for agitating a surface to be cleaned and a motor associated with the cleaning module and connected to an impeller for driving the impeller. The fluid recovery system includes a tank having a fluid recovery chamber for holding recovered fluid, a suction nozzle associated with the cleaning module, a working air conduit extending between the tank and the suction nozzle and a vacuum source including the impeller in fluid communication with the recovery chamber for generating a flow of working air from the nozzle through the working air conduit and through the recovery chamber to thereby draw dirty liquid from the surface to be cleaned through the nozzle and working air conduit and into the recovery chamber. The liquid dispensing system includes a liquid dispensing nozzle for applying liquid to a surface to be cleaned, a fluid supply chamber for holding a supply of cleaning fluid and a fluid supply conduit including a pump fluidly connected to the fluid supply chamber and to the dispensing nozzle for supplying cleaning fluid to the dispensing nozzle. The pump includes a pump drive shaft for driving the pump. An agitator brush is mounted in the cleaning module for agitating a surface to be cleaned. The motor is mechanically connected to the agitator brush and to the pump drive shaft for driving the agitator brush and the pump, whereby the motor drives the impeller, the agitator brush and the pump.
In one embodiment of the invention, the motor is connected to the agitator brush through the pump drive shaft. In another embodiment, the motor is directly connected to the agitator brush and directly connected to the pump drive shaft. The pump drive shaft preferably has a mechanical step down device connecting the pump drive shaft to the motor to step down the speed of rotation of the pump drive shaft. In the first embodiment, inner and outer pulleys are mounted on the pump drive shaft and the pump drive shaft is connected to the agitator brush through a first belt which is reeved around the outer pulley and the pump drive shaft is connected to the motor through a second belt which is reeved around the inner pulley. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a baffle is mounted on the cleaning module between the inner and outer pulleys to minimize fluid transfer between the inner and outer pulley.
In one embodiment, the cleaning module includes an outer housing with an opening adjacent to the second belt and a removable door selectively mounted to the housing to cover the opening, the removable door having at least a portion of the baffle mounted thereto.